Abrams Acquires Overlook
Abrams has purchased The Overlook Press, with some employees (notably publisher Tracy Carns) set to remain after the transition. The move began in August 2018, with Abrams taking immediate control of all editorial, marketing, and business elements, and planning to take over sales and distribution once existing service contracts run out – Overlook is currently distributed by Norton, while Abrams is distributed by Hachette Book Group.
The Overlook Press was cofounded in 1971 by publishing executive Peter Mayer and his father, and Mayer ran the press full-time starting in 1997 (after almost 20 years as chairman and CEO at Penguin). Overlook produces about 40 books a year, with a backlist of over 1,300 titles, and has published SF writers including R. Scott Bakker, Terry Bisson, John Crowley, Michael Moorcock, and many more.
Mayer’s daughter Liese Mayer (editorial director at Bloomsbury USA) says the sale is “a wonderful new chapter” for the company, which was founded “with a vision for a truly independent publishing house that would put out an eclectic list of vital but overlooked books.” Michael Jacobs, CEO of Abrams, said Overlook is “a good strategic fit” for their organization and will offer “myriad opportunities to leverage our text-driven growth strategy at Abrams.”
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